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Parliament passes anti-graft Bill that punishes bribe givers too (Second Lead)
New Delhi, July 24 (IANS) The Parliament on Tuesday passed an anti-corruption Bill that provides for punishment to bribe givers and takers, and extends prior nod for prosecution to former public officials with the Lok Sabha giving its assent to the law.
The Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, 2018, passed by the lower house after a reply by Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions Jitendra Singh, was passed by Rajya Sabha last week.
The bill makes specific provisions related to giving a bribe to a public servant, and giving a bribe by a commercial organisation and it also modifies the definitions and penalties for offences related to taking a bribe, being a habitual offender and abetting an offence.
The Bill provides for imprisonment from three to seven years, besides fine, to those convicted of taking bribes. Bribe givers have also been included in the legislation for the first time and they can be punished with imprisonment up to seven years, fine, or both.
In his reply, the minister said the Bill provides safeguards to officers who perform their duties with honesty.
“We have brought amendments so that honest performing officer does not get intimidated or his initiatives get killed,” he said.
Singh said the “historic legislation” has provisions to ensure speedy trial in corruption cases.
Noting the ideal situation is when the nation and society becomes incorruptible, he said: “But maybe we are yet to evolve to that level of evolution. To be fair, 70 years is a very small life span in the history of a democracy or a nation. We are still evolving and when we evolve to that level of incorruptibility, then we will not require a legislation like this or any further amendments.”
Referring to delay in appointment of Lokpal, he said the blame laid with Congress as it did not get enough seats for its leader to be recognised as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
The Leader of Opposition is a member of Lokpal selection panel. Singh said the government had sought to include the leader of the largest opposition party in the meetings concerning appointment of Lokpal.
Many members who took part in the debate stressed on the need for electoral reforms to curb corruption.
Some opposition members accused the government of “diluting” the anti-corruption act through the amendments. They also cautioned the government over the provision to punish the bribe giver.
Citing some other decisions related to the government, Shiv Sena’s Arvind Ganpat Sawant said “it is easy to talk about corruption and difficult to walk the talk”.
He asked if expenses of a party meeting addressed by Prime Minister or a Chief Minister are borne by the exchequer or the political party concerned.
“Election is den of corruption, school admission is den of corruption,” he said.
–IANS
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.